SUNDAY 9 MAY 2010
110 miles 11,000 feet ascent
I’m officially a First Class Fred Whitton cyclist now!!!!! – even if only by less than a minute. I clocked 7h 59m for the 110 miles and 11,000 feet of Lakeland torture, and was mightily chuffed. I had felt OK for most of the race, going at my own pace mostly, catching on to a few faster cyclists for a tow occasionally, pushing the speed on the faster stuff and steadily grinding away at the many climbs. My pace till the last 2 killer climbs of Hardknott and Wrynose was pretty much like last year’s 8h 17m so I was never really sure of how close I would be to even besting last year’s time, never mind cracking the magical 8h barrier. The weather this year held out, though I still had to get off and push my bike up the steep hairpins for a few minutes, whereas last year the heavens had opened up here.
After the last climb at Wrynose Pass I still thought I was outside 8hrs pace, but I still pressed on downhill through Little Langdale, hoping for the best. When I joined the main road back to Coniston with 4 miles left and less than 15mins to spare, I gave it everything I had and hammered it back. Screeching to a halt at the finish line I couldn’t believe that I had made it by such a narrow margin. Over the course of 8 hours to have achieved my goal by a minute was just amazing. Yet again I was overcome with joy and intense satisfaction, the adrenaline pumping away like mad throughout my body, and still am sitting here hardly believing that I managed it. Never mind that fell running superhero Rob Jebb was 2 hrs quicker in winning, I won my own (not-so)wee battle and that’s what counts in my book. Of almost 1000 cyclists I think I just made it into the top half of the field, not bad for an old hillrunner. A true challenge in all senses of the word and all the sweeter for it.
www.fredwhittonchallenge.org.uk
10 May 2010
04 May 2010
Three Ferries Cycle
SUN 2 MAY
65 miles
Gourock- ferry to Dunoon-Colintraive(nice pub stop at the Colintraive Hotel)-ferry to Isle of Bute- down the east coast, then the gorgeous west coast with views to Arran, in to Rothesay(bag of chips from Zavaroni's)- ferry to Wemyss Bay- cycle back to Gourock. A grand day out, though the legs were sore from the Stuc a Chroin Hill Race yesterday.
65 miles
Gourock- ferry to Dunoon-Colintraive(nice pub stop at the Colintraive Hotel)-ferry to Isle of Bute- down the east coast, then the gorgeous west coast with views to Arran, in to Rothesay(bag of chips from Zavaroni's)- ferry to Wemyss Bay- cycle back to Gourock. A grand day out, though the legs were sore from the Stuc a Chroin Hill Race yesterday.
Stuc a Chroin Hill Race
SAT 1 MAY 2010
The grind on the forestry track at the start is a killer, and almost always makes me think lots of horrible negative thoughts about dropping out only minutes into the race. After that I warmed up a bit and got into the swing of things, running with Steffen till Ben Each where I managed to get away a bit on the ridge. The slog up to Stuc is always longer than you remember, though cheering on the runners as they descend back past you helps pass the time. Turning at the top of any race usually inspires some energy and I bashed on down to the ridge, with its umpteen wee upsies and downsies sapping the short-lived burst of energy. I lost a few places on the slanting sheep trod down to Glen Ample where I met Don having a wee Senior moment, before we both summonsed some energy for the last heave up to the moorland top.
Don ran away easily at the top and once back on the forest track I lapsed into a steady plod, managing to sneak past a few others in the last mile, to make it feel vaguely like a good run. I was pleased to finish in 3h 15m ( 81st/151), over half an hour slower than my best, but heh ho, that's life, or more like that's old age for you. A huge thanks to the organisers and to the numerous marshalls with their unending supply of jelly babies and water, you were brilliant. A pint of the Stuc a Chroin ale with the Westies Crew afterwards rounded off a grand day out in the Trossachs.
WESTIES RESULTS
* Manny Gorman, 2:36.02 (15th)
* David Rogers, 2:55.51 (41st)
* Chris Upson, 3:01.43 (53rd)
* Don Reid, 3:12.25 (71st)
* John Donnelly, 3:15.38 (81st)
* Steffen Gorgas, 3:20.46 (90th)
* Keith Adams, 3:26.27 (98th)
* Hamilton Semple, 3:51.29 (138th)
* John Hamer, 3:56.38 (140th)
* Paula Cowan, 4:05.52 (145th)
RESULTS = www.scottishhillracing.co.uk/RaceResults.aspx?RaceID=RA-0033&RaceYear=2010
The grind on the forestry track at the start is a killer, and almost always makes me think lots of horrible negative thoughts about dropping out only minutes into the race. After that I warmed up a bit and got into the swing of things, running with Steffen till Ben Each where I managed to get away a bit on the ridge. The slog up to Stuc is always longer than you remember, though cheering on the runners as they descend back past you helps pass the time. Turning at the top of any race usually inspires some energy and I bashed on down to the ridge, with its umpteen wee upsies and downsies sapping the short-lived burst of energy. I lost a few places on the slanting sheep trod down to Glen Ample where I met Don having a wee Senior moment, before we both summonsed some energy for the last heave up to the moorland top.
Don ran away easily at the top and once back on the forest track I lapsed into a steady plod, managing to sneak past a few others in the last mile, to make it feel vaguely like a good run. I was pleased to finish in 3h 15m ( 81st/151), over half an hour slower than my best, but heh ho, that's life, or more like that's old age for you. A huge thanks to the organisers and to the numerous marshalls with their unending supply of jelly babies and water, you were brilliant. A pint of the Stuc a Chroin ale with the Westies Crew afterwards rounded off a grand day out in the Trossachs.
WESTIES RESULTS
* Manny Gorman, 2:36.02 (15th)
* David Rogers, 2:55.51 (41st)
* Chris Upson, 3:01.43 (53rd)
* Don Reid, 3:12.25 (71st)
* John Donnelly, 3:15.38 (81st)
* Steffen Gorgas, 3:20.46 (90th)
* Keith Adams, 3:26.27 (98th)
* Hamilton Semple, 3:51.29 (138th)
* John Hamer, 3:56.38 (140th)
* Paula Cowan, 4:05.52 (145th)
RESULTS = www.scottishhillracing.co.uk/RaceResults.aspx?RaceID=RA-0033&RaceYear=2010
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